It'll be Enough
by RinnaMarie
Summary: On the happiest day in one wizard's life, the hardest choice he ever made comes to say goodbye.


A/N: I'm not giving up on The Favour, but this wandered into my head, and I had to write it down. IT'S REALLY SAD. Fair warning. And there is a song in it, but it's a song I wrote myself, so no complaining about it. :) Happy reading.  
RM

* * *

Glasses clinked; people chattered genially; music wafted softly across the room. He'd shaken hands with probably two hundred people in the course of the evening, been toasted and congratulated more times than he could count, and posed for more pictures than he cared to remember. He wandered aimlessly around the room, smiling and chatting at whoever he passed. He was exhausted, physically and emotionally, and was ready to be done with the entire day. A group of work acquaintances of Marie's stopped him, and he listened half-heartedly as they droned on about the joyousness of the day, the beauty of the ceremony, and the gaiety of the reception. He smiled and nodded where appropriate, still working his eyes around the room. And that's when he saw her.

She was standing in a far corner, looking straight at him. She smiled at him as he met her gaze, and tucked a loose strand of red hair behind her ear. She turned away from him and began walking away. He watched her walking away, and an overwhelming sense of sadness filled his entire body. Quickly he made his excuses to the people around him, and hurried across the room after her.

He smiled and nodded to people as he gently pushed passed them, trying to cross the room as quickly as possible. He reached the pillar she'd been standing beside, only to realize that behind it was a corridor leading to the exit of the hotel. Swearing under his breath, he rushed down it, praying that he'd find her before she left forever.

The corridor was deserted, and his shoes clicked sharply against the parquet floor, the sound echoing all around him. He reached the lobby of the hotel and rushed toward the doors, hoping against hope that she hadn't been able to get a taxi that quickly.

"Harry."

He whirled around, and there she was, standing next to the fireplace, leaning against a wall that intersected with the corridor leading to the ballroom. She smiled at him, and stepped away from the wall. Relief flooded through him; he hadn't missed her.

"You came," he said, grasping her hands in his.

"I came," she said, "and it was the hardest thing I think I've ever done." Her usually bright smile was tinged with sadness. "How did you do it, all those years ago?"

"I wasn't actually there," he said. "It was much easier to just pretend it never happened."

She laughed, tears glistening in her eyes. "Maybe so," she said.

"I'm glad you came," he said.

"Me, too," she said, reaching up and brushing her fingertips along his cheek. "It was a beautiful ceremony. You two will be very happy together."

He reached up and took her hand in his, pressing her palm to his lips. A single tear slipped gracefully down her cheek. "Listen," he said, indicating back down the corridor toward the ballroom. "They're playing our song."

She turned her head, and could barely hear the opening strains of "Sweet Mystery." She nodded her head. "So they are."

"Dance with me," he said, reaching for her hands.

"Here?" she asked, looking around the lobby. It was empty but for the clerk at the counter, who was busily engrossed in a telephone conversation.

"Here," he said, "in front of God and everybody." She smiled, and took his hands. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she instinctively put her head on his shoulder. He swallowed hard as he inhaled the familiar scent of her shampoo, unchanged even after so many years. He could feel the gentle rise and fall of her breathing against his chest.

She closed her eyes and relaxed against him as the music drifted around them.

_Sweet mystery, falling like snow  
__Tiptoe around me, never full flow  
__Small glimpses in, at the edge of the fray  
__Touching my skin, then you pull away._

They swayed gently to the music, both unable to speak for the overwhelming amounts of emotion rushing through their brains.

_Every touch, every kiss, everything that you are  
__Every sweet melody, every haunting refrain  
__Every glance, every drop, every second apart  
__Will I ever know you, will you always remain_

"I wanted it to be you," he blurted out. She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him questioningly. "Today, when I was up there… I wanted it to be you."

She smiled sadly at him, and gently brushed a lock of his unruly hair off his forehead. "Oh, Harry, so did I. And ten years ago, when it was me up there, I wanted it to be you."

He looked away, angry at the tears that threatened to crack his resolve. "Then why couldn't it be? Why does it have to be like this?"

"Because," she said softly, "Love isn't enough. We both know that. You had your path, and I had mine. I'm so glad that they intersected, even for the brief time they did. You will always be my one true love, Harry Potter. Even if we can't be together."

He looked back down into her eyes, now swimming in tears. "You'll always be my one true love, Gin. You know that."

"I know. We both made choices, you and I. We both made commitments, and we have to stand by them." She looked away, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"I just wish it didn't have to be so hard," he said, barely above a whisper.

_Sweet mystery, falling like rain  
__When you turn around all I'm left with is pain  
__Am I asking too much, are you feeling it too?  
__I long for your touch, I'm aching for you_

"So do I," she said, caressing his cheek. "But in the end, this is the way it has to be, we both know that."

"You're right," he said. "I know you're right. And I know that after this moment is over, I'll walk back into that ballroom and up to Marie, and we'll be happy together. But is it wrong of me, right now, to wish that this moment would never end?"

"No," she whispered, pulling his head down to meet hers, and wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

_Every touch, every taste, everything in your eyes  
__Every spark when we touch, all the meaning behind  
__Every minute with you is another surprise  
__Such a beautiful face, such a beautiful mind_

"I will always remember this moment," she said softly. "And so will you. And I'll know that for this moment, you loved me, and I loved you, and everything was perfect." She smiled at him, hopeful through her tears. "And I think it'll be enough."

He smiled at her. "I think you're right."

The music faded softly away, and reality rushed back around them. Ginny stepped away first, brushing the tears from her cheeks. "Thank you for the dance," she said. "Now go back to your wife."

He held onto her hands for a moment longer, wanting to memorize her face for the last time. "Okay."

"Good-bye, Harry Potter."

"Good-bye, Ginny Thomas."


End file.
